Astilbes

Feather flowers, great shade tolerance and iron constitutions. These are the calling cards of astilbes, hardy perennials that are happy in dappled gardens from northern Michigan to central Florida. Astilbes inject texture, depth and color into shade gardens that otherwise often lean towards flat and boring. Plus, astilbes’ fluffy flower stems make outstanding additions to bouquets and are almost never available commercially. As a bonus, these plants are on the “yeah, we don’t really like them” list for deer and rabbits. So why is it your garden doesn’t yet include astilbes?